We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have taken the trouble to respond to the query.

[A blogging Apple fan comments on this last one, ``For some reason I really like her pronunciation of Extraordinary. It becomes ''extordinary'' because no one on the planet can sing Extraordinary, it's a terrible word.'' (http://www.diaryofaband.com/2005/05/051005.html)]

Although this deletion seems to be sporadic, the examples above share certain traits, suggesting there is a phonological basis for the deletion. For example, each word contains more than one onset [r], and the [r] that deletes is in a complex onset in a non-initial syllable. Usually it's unstressed, and usually it precedes the other [r].

I would be grateful to anyone who can point out 1) any published or unpublished work on onset [r] deletion; 2) any other examples of onset [r] deletion that you may have noticed (whether or not they are similar to the examples above). I will post a summary if there is sufficient interest.